The percentage of Americans under age 65 with employer-sponsored health coverage grew slightly from 63.5 in 1993 to 64.9 in 1998, following five years of erosion. A report by the Employee Benefit Research Institute attributes the gain to a smaller pool of self-employed workers and an increase in the number of people working for large employers — thus suggesting that many small companies still find it difficult to offer coverage to their workers.

SOURCE: SOURCES OF HEALTH INSURANCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE UNINSURED, EMPLOYEE BENEFIT RESEARCH INSTITUTE, WASHINGTON, 2000

Half of working-age adults think employers are the best source for health coverage, and most of those with employer-based coverage think their employers do a good job at selecting health plans. The bigger the company, the greater the level of support of employers as the chief source of health insurance.

SOURCE: 1999 NATIONAL SURVEY OF WORKERS' HEALTH INSURANCE, THE COMMONWEALTH FUND, NEW YORK